Now, he is a veteran sitting at the end of the bench of a youth-oriented team. Interesting how the circle sometimes spins.

He long since gave up remembering his averages (13.1 minutes, 4.9 points, 3.0 rebounds). Having missed a total of seven games over the previous three seasons, Croshere has 13 DNP-CDs (Did Not Play - Coach's Decision) this season. He also missed 15 on the injured list, including the first 10 after suffering a stress fracture in his foot late in the offseason that required surgery.

"I can't really look at this year's stats," he said. "I have to look at, when I get into the game, helping the team when the opportunity is given."

Therein lies the honor in Croshere's season. He hasn't played much, but he has played well when called upon. In seven games in which he has played at least 20 minutes, he has averaged 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. With the team shorthanded lately, he has given a significant lift - 14 points in the rout of Utah, 10 points in the blowout of Boston, 11 against Memphis.

In the last five games overall, he has averaged 8.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. More importantly, the team has outscored the opposition by 41 points in his 87 minutes of playing time.

Staying ready is hardly easy or automatic. Even with extra running and shooting before and after practice, it's difficult to maintain what the players and coaches like to call "basketball shape," which is to say the ability to play 42 minutes while hauling an extra 240 pounds up and down the court. It's even more difficult to keep skills sharp, because shooting a jump shot alone in the gym bears little similarity to getting off a shot over a flying 7-footer with the shot-clock winding down and four other scorers on the court.

But Croshere has paid attention to the details, taken joy in the little things, and in the process grown more than a little.

"Mentally, it's staying strong enough to not give up. Physically, it's continuing to prepare yourself so you're ready if the opportunity comes," he said. "It's obviously been a real frustrating season for me with all the DNPs but a big part of how I've gotten through it is by not giving up on myself, continuing to come early and stay late and do all the little things so that when the time comes I can show I'm capable of playing. It's also a way for me to keep my sanity when things aren't going well.

No player has been more victimized by the team's depth, because it is primarily stacked in the frontcourt. Is he supposed to play ahead of Ron Artest, Al Harrington, Ron Mercer or Jonathan Bender at small forward? Jermaine O'Neal, Harrington or Jeff Foster at power forward? Brad Miller, Foster or O'Neal at center? Croshere can pick up a few minutes at any of the three positions, as needed, but there just hasn't been much need.

"Coach (Isiah Thomas) doesn't really seem to stick with traditional rotations," Croshere said. "He just kind of gets a feel for who can help the team on a given night. I think he's afforded that luxury by the depth we have and the guys like myself and (Ron) Mercer and Jeff (Foster), we really just need to accept that's the way that it is and realize you might play 15 minutes or 25 minutes one night and not play much at all the next night."

The return of Brad Miller from a foot and ankle injury that kept him out five consecutive games and six of seven promises to return Croshere to his former, limited-opportunity, role. It has much more to do with who's in front of him than how he has played.

Thomas

"I like Cro," Thomas said. "You try to wedge him in but it's a big backlog at that position. He's playing behind Brad and Jermaine and Al and Jeff. But to Austin's credit, he stayed ready and he stayed professional."

Only one player on the roster - Reggie Miller - has been with the Pacers longer than Croshere's five seasons. They are the only two regulars remaining from the team that reached the NBA Finals in 2000 - as it has turned out, a series that represented the peak of Croshere's career. He averaged 15.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in the six-game loss to the Lakers. Not long thereafter, he signed a reported seven-year, $51 million contract extension.

With the franchise entering a crucial offseason in which Jermaine O'Neal, Reggie Miller and Brad Miller all are free agents, there has been much speculation that the team cannot afford to keep Croshere's contract, so it appears his days in Indiana may be numbered. Trade talk is nothing new; his name has become perpetual grist for the rumor mill.

"You try not to get frustrated over things you can't control," Croshere said.

As the Pacers head down the stretch, they can take comfort in knowing Croshere has regained a firm grip on the one thing he can control: his performance.